The Daily Briefing Monday, April 17, 2023

I pass these mini-nuggets along as a fan service. They are among the things I’m hearing about the top of the 2023 draft.

This doesn’t mean anything on the surface, because the way “reporting” works this time of year, things that make sense get repeated and repeated and repeated and it all becomes one giant Insider Echo Chamber. But I didn’t hear anyone, in calls Friday through Sunday, who thinks the first pick won’t be Bryce Young. He may not be. I’m just telling you what’s out there.

I will not be surprised if, in the Edge category, Tyree Wilson is picked ahead of Will Anderson. I particularly will not be surprised if Houston—whether at two or through a trade-down if the Texans don’t take a quarterback—takes Wilson over Anderson. “DeMeco Ryans could look at Wilson after his year in San Francisco and say, ‘I got my Nick Bosa,’” said someone in the league who knows Ryans.

One coach with a pick in the top 10: “Wilson will be a better pro than Anderson.”

I’m like you. I hear the Houston’s souring on Stroud stuff, and I just can’t believe the Texans wouldn’t take a quarterback high in this draft. How would Cal McNair answer to his disaffected season-ticketholders if, after passing on a quarterback with the third and 15th picks in the first round last year, he passes on a quarterback at number two this year? It’s the job of coaches to get the best out of players, and there’s certainly enough potential in C.J. Stroud—should he be there for Houston at two—for the Texans’ coaches to make a good NFL QB out of him.

An increasing number of people around the league think Jalen Carter has done enough in his visits to not sink like a stone on draft night. (More on Carter in my next section.) It’s become almost a cliché, how many team officials think the Seahawks will take Carter with the fifth overall pick.

Best rumor of the week: Steelers trading up from 17 to nine if Carter’s there. There could not be a more perfect coach for Carter than Mike Tomlin.

Carolina owner David Tepper has not been overbearing in the QB-search process. I can hear it now: You’re giving us a sanitized version of this to get on Tepper’s good side. Uh, I’ve never met the man. I could care less about buttering up David Tepper. I’m just telling you the real stuff.

Peter Skoronski’s an interesting case. The Northwestern tackle has the dreaded short-arm plague, and two teams in the top 10 see him now as a guard. So what? Guard Chris Lindstrom got drafted 14th by the Falcons in 2019, and he’s now a cornerstone player in Atlanta. Ditto Zack Martin (16th) in Dallas, and with a slightly smaller exclamation point, Quenton Nelson (sixth) in Indy. All got second contracts. If Skoronski’s a great guard, getting picked ninth or 12th or 15th is absolutely fine.

This is not an overriding negative on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, an excellent receiver prospect. But the Ohio State football season was five months long last year, including practice, and Smith-Njigba got a left hamstring injury early, and he played 60 snaps total in three games, and never got on the field in the last 10 weeks. He runs a 4.48 40-. I’m not the only one wondering: How is Jaxon Smith-Njigba the top-rated receiver on so many boards with 10 days to go?

And this on DT JALEN CARTER:

On Jalen Carter. Interesting to note that last week, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was on the list of draftees who will be in Kansas City on Thursday night for the first round. On Saturday, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told me: “We definitely would have skipped it if I thought there was the potential of him falling out of the top 10. I’m not concerned in the slightest about that.”

Carter is the lightning rod prospect in this draft after pleading no contest to charges of racing and reckless driving connected with the deaths of a teammate and Georgia football staffer in another car earlier this year. Some thought his draft prospects would plummet after he was sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine and 50 hours of community service. Since then, Rosenhaus said Carter would make visits to teams only in the top 10 of the first round; if other teams wanted to talk to him, they could travel to Carter’s home of Apopka, Fla. Entering this week, he’s made visits to four teams (Seattle, Las Vegas, Chicago and Philadelphia) and Rosenhaus said there will be two more this week before the league shuts off visits on Wednesday. Adam Schefter reported one of the visits will be to Detroit today.

“The goal has been to educate teams about Jalen and the case and who he is,” Rosenhaus said. “It hasn’t been an easy process, but I do think it’s been good for Jalen to get out and see the teams. I think there’s a very good chance he’ll go in the top five.”

Lots of teams look at the fifth slot—Seattle, with Mr. Positive, Pete Carroll, as coach—and automatically think it’s a good shot. It may well be. Detroit, at six, and Chicago and Philly, at nine and 10, also seem to be in play. Who takes the risk on Carter, and who gambles on the potential reward, is going to be one of the big stories of round one.

PHILADELPHIA

ESPN is saying that the Eagles and QB JALEN HURTS have a huge deal.

The Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts have reached agreement on a five-year, $255 million extension, including $179.304 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

Hurts’ deal is the biggest contract in terms of average annual value in NFL history. Deshaun Watson’s $230 million contract signed last year with the Cleveland Browns, which is fully guaranteed, still is biggest in terms of guaranteed money.

Hurts’ extension includes a no-trade clause — a first in Eagles history, a source told Schefter.

Hurts’ contract: Inside the numbers

Jalen Hurts’ new deal with the Eagles is the highest in terms of average annual value in NFL history but is third overall in terms of most guaranteed money.

The Eagles announced Monday that they have signed Hurts to a five-year extension but did not disclose financial terms.

Hurts, 24, was an MVP candidate last season, throwing for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns to six interceptions while rushing for 760 yards and 13 scores.

He showed tremendous growth as a passer in his second season as the full-time starter, jumping from 19th (54.6) to fourth (66.4) in QBR and 26th (61.3%) to 11th (66.5%) in completion percentage while dropping his average time before throw from 3.12 seconds (31st) to 2.76 seconds (16th) on average.

One of his best performances came in Super Bowl LVII, when he racked up 374 total yards and four touchdowns with one costly turnover in a 38-35 loss to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

His 43 total touchdowns on the year surpassed Donovan McNabb for most ever in a single season in franchise history, helping him to second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod.

Hurts’ ascension to his spot as one of the top quarterbacks in the league was not a straight line. He was the first freshman QB to start for coach Nick Saban at Alabama, but he was benched during the national championship game in favor of Tua Tagovailoa the next season and ultimately lost the starting job to him. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his senior year and had a standout campaign, finishing second to Joe Burrow in Heisman Trophy voting.

A second-round pick of the Eagles in 2020, Hurts took over for a struggling Carson Wentz toward the end of the season and became the full-time starter in 2021 after Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. He has put together a 23-11 record as a starter for Philadelphia, including a 14-1 mark last season, having missed two games with a right shoulder strain.

WASHINGTON

In our homage to Nixon (see the final paragraph), Peter King won’t have Daniel Snyder to kick around for long – so he gets in another boot or two today:

I’m going to top the column today with news that’ll make sports fans in the Washington area weep tears of joy. They’re already weeping. Now, I know the Caps won the Stanley Cup in 2018, and that’s fantastic, and the Mystics won the WNBA a year later, and Nationals shocked the Astros to win the World Series in 2019. Yuge, all of them. But the pro football team in Washington being on the verge of NOT being owned by Daniel Snyder is cause for the biggest parade in the city this century.

On the verge being the operative wording. This thing’s not done.

When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the leader of the prospective new-owner group, Josh Harris, spoke on Wednesday, no one knew exactly what the topic was. But as one ownership source told me over the weekend, “Calls like that would be Harris saying he had a tentative deal with Snyder.” I believe that’s likely, and word spread through ownership circles that, basically, Ding dong, the witch is dead. Snyder’s selling!

The terms, reportedly, were the Harris-Mitchell Rales group paying $6.05 billion for the team and Snyder, the most reviled owner in the NFL, disappearing. By the weekend, the NFL was no-commenting up a storm, refusing to acknowledge even whether Snyder had communicated to the league that he had a tentative deal or had forwarded the requisite paperwork so the league could begin to process the deal. Adam Schefter reported that it wasn’t a done deal, that Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos was still in the mix. And the strangest part: It was widely reported Snyder’s deal with the Harris-Rales group was “non-exclusive,” meaning he retained the ability to barter with other potential buyers.

The hang-ups could rest on maximizing the sales price, of course. Or it could rest on Snyder wanting to be indemnified from any legal liabilities associated with his ownership, or it could rest on his insistence that the league not release the glacially slow investigation of Mary Jo White into the sordid ownership of Snyder and the team. As one ownership source told me: “Dan’s got no chance of quashing the report. Roger’s releasing that report, I’ll tell you that.”

Either way, it figures that Snyder couldn’t do anything peaceful on his way out. The uncertainty, after a quarter-century of bad ownership with a once-proud franchise, is more logical than illogical.

“Seems like we’re at the two-yard-line going in,” said one source with knowledge of the prospective sale over the weekend, “but with Dan, it’s never over till it’s over.”

Four points to consider:

Snyder, feeling abandoned by the NFL, really doesn’t care about the league anymore. He’s always thought owning the NFL franchise in Washington was a lifetime get-out-of-jail-free card. Now that he knows it isn’t, why should he do the league any favors by bowing out gracefully?

Lots of speculation about why Jeff Bezos didn’t make a serious offer, but I’ll give you the best reasons. Snyder hates The Washington Post, which Bezos owns, but forget about that for a moment. Think about this. The next team likely on the market in the NFL is the Seattle Seahawks. Under the terms of the Seahawks’ current ownership agreement, if the team is sold before May 2, 2024, 10 percent of the sale price would go to the state of Washington. Current owner Jody Allen, sister of late owner Paul Allen, would face handing over, say, $700 million if the team was sold for $7 billion, which is in the ballpark of the next NFL team sale, if she sells in the next 13 months. Why would she do that? She wouldn’t. The NFL is lobbying Bezos quietly, but hard, to buy a franchise. The advantages of buying the Seahawks are many: Seattle has a consistent winner with a great GM/coach team in John Schneider/Pete Carroll, Seattle has an incredible fan base, Seattle has a state-of-the-art loud home venue in Lumen Field, and Seattle has one of the best training facilities in pro sports. All four of those are far, far better than what Washington has. Why would Bezos not want Seattle if he’s serious about buying into the league that prints money?

I know why the NFL won’t comment on the process or on Snyder. They’re shut up so tight because all they want is for Snyder to go away, and they don’t want to leak anything that would potentially interrupt the transition of ownership.

For the record, Snyder has been the worst owner in the NFL for the last quarter-century of NFL history. The scandals are one thing, and they matter. But it’s how the scandals were handled and the besmirching of the team legacy and the endless badness that have turned off a top-five fanbase in NFL history, so that now a Washington fan simply will not care about pro football in the nation’s capital again until Snyder goes away. Here is everything you need to know about the reign of Snyder in Washington versus the tenure of the previous owner, Jack Kent Cooke:

If you’re a reader of a certain age, or a history student, you may remember Gerald Ford pardoning Richard Nixon after Nixon resigned as president in 1974, and Ford saying in a famous speech in Washington: “Our long national nightmare is over.” The NFL’s long nightmare in Washington is close to over, but it won’t be until the petulant Snyder takes his $6 billion and goes home.

The DB well knows that Snyder is the media’s least favorite owner.  But we wondered, since 1999, where does he rank in terms of wins?  We are about to find out but we’ll guess 22^nd.

And the answer is 27^th.

WINS SINCE 1999

20        CAR               182

21t        TB                  181

21t        SF                  181

23        CHI                  180

24        CIN                 175

25        NYJ                 169

26        ARZ                 166

27        WAS                164                                                                                        

28        Raiders            157

29        JAX                  154

30       HOU                 142

31        DET                  139

32        CLE                  127

Thoughts on the bottom 13 teams.

The Buccaneers (twice) are the only one to have won a Super Bowl since 1999, although we count six teams that have been to the SB at least once in that span.

We admit to being surprised to see the 49ers on the list.  They are six wins behind Atlanta’s 187 and 22 behind Tennessee’s 203 among other teams ahead of the Niners.

Yes, Houston had three fewer seasons than Washington.  The Texans have averaged about 7 wins per season, so give them 21 more and they would still be just behind Washington’s football team.

SAN FRANCISCO

A Santa Clara City Council member is in hot water for leaking a report to the 49ers that detailed the loathing other members of the council have for the team.  The AP:

A Silicon Valley city councilman has been charged with perjury after he allegedly lied about leaking a grand jury report to the San Francisco 49ers last year that detailed a purportedly unethical relationship between the team and the city council, prosecutors said Friday.

Santa Clara city councilmember Anthony Becker is accused of providing the secret report titled “Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Santa Clara City Council” to the team’s former top spokesperson and a local media outlet in 2022, days ahead of its official release.

Becker then allegedly lied to the grand jury about the leak, prosecutors said, prompting the criminal charges.

The 49ers play in Levi’s Stadium in the city of Santa Clara, about 35 miles south of San Francisco. Santa Clara County is broadly considered home to Silicon Valley.

The city of Santa Clara owns the stadium and leases it to the team; fighting between the two groups has led to ethics complaints, legal disputes and years of bad blood.

Al Guido, the team’s president, and Larry MacNeil, the former CFO who worked extensively on the team’s stadium project, were named in the indictment as witnesses who spoke to the criminal grand jury for Becker’s indictment.

“The 49ers have cooperated fully with the District Attorney’s Office in their investigation, and will continue to do so,” team spokesperson Brian Brokaw said in a statement Friday. “However, because this is an ongoing legal matter, the organization is not able to make any further comment at this time.”

Prosecutors say the team has bankrolled Becker’s political career by spending $3.2 million through independent expenditure committees for his 2020 city council race, which he won, as well as his unsuccessful 2022 mayoral bid.

The “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” report alleged that Becker and four other councilmembers regularly voted “in a manner that is favorable to the 49ers” and would routinely meet with the team’s lobbyists but not disclose what was discussed.

Becker faces a felony charge of perjury under oath, as well as a misdemeanor charge of willful failure to perform duty. He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Becker did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday, and it was not clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

“Councilmember Becker violated the public’s trust,” Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “That an elected official would commit perjury and lie under oath before the grand jury strikes at the very heart of our justice system and requires accountability.”

Representatives for the Santa Clara City Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

QB BROCK PURDY speaks on his recovery.  Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

Despite a strong vote of confidence from San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan at last month’s NFL owners meetings, quarterback Brock Purdy’s focus hasn’t shifted from where it was after the season.

Speaking to ESPN on Friday, Purdy made clear that despite Lynch and Shanahan indicating he has the inside track on the Niners’ starting job in 2023, he is still thinking only about getting his injured right elbow back to full strength.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time, trying to get healthy and trying to be the best version I can be every single day and go from there,” Purdy said. “Overall, I’m taking it one day at a time and everything will fall into place.”

Purdy tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (throwing) elbow early in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles in January, which the 49ers lost 31-7. After an extended wait for swelling in the elbow to go down, Purdy had what is known as a UCL repair with InternalBrace on March 10.

While initial indications were that Purdy’s recovery would take approximately six months, the Niners and Purdy have declined to put a specific timeline on when he will be cleared to return. Lynch said in March the team and Purdy will know more about a possible return date 12 weeks after the surgery.

“I think like a lot of those things, timelines are just guidelines,” Lynch said. “Every person is different. There probably is some amount of time in talking to the docs that you want to make sure you get to that point before he’s out there, but our hope is he’s ready to go in training camp.”

The 12-week mark would be June 2, which is also the date of San Francisco’s sixth organized team activity. At that time, the Niners and Purdy hope he can resume throwing and begin rebuilding his arm strength.

For now, Purdy is rehabbing in Gilbert, Arizona, with physical therapist Keith Kocher. Kocher has worked with throwing athletes, including many major league pitchers, for the past 25 years. The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister, who has done elbow surgeries on MLB pitchers, including Justin Verlander in 2020.

Purdy said Friday he is still in the early stages of his rehab, but he described it as “going really well.” He was able to avoid Tommy John reconstruction surgery, which would have required more time on the sidelines.

“As a football player, it’s not as long as a recovery as a baseball player, just because baseball players are throwing harder than a quarterback,” he said. “To find a way to have surgery and get the ligament healed up — but also cut down the recovery time — I think is huge.”

Purdy said he’s staying in shape this offseason and is diving into the 49ers’ playbook ahead of training camp, which begins in July.

“My body is healthy, it’s just the arm,” he said. “I’m able to stay in shape and condition and do all those kind of things with my body. Just don’t use the arm.”

After replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo (who early in the season replaced the injured Trey Lance) in Week 14, Purdy went 7-1 as the starter. The final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy ranked third in the NFL in QBR (68.8), fifth in completion percentage (68.5) and first in yards per attempt (8.9) after becoming the starter.

Lance and Sam Darnold, whom the Niners signed in free agency, are expected to take San Francisco’s quarterback reps while Purdy is recovering from elbow surgery.

Lynch said in March the organization views Purdy as being in the driver’s seat to start when he is healthy.

“I think Brock has earned the right with the way he played that he’s probably the leader in the clubhouse at that,” Lynch said. “I’ll let Kyle make those kinds of decisions, but I know when we talk, Brock has probably earned that right to be the guy. If we were to line up, he’d probably take that first snap.”

MIAMI

Peter King points out how the Dolphins, at one point, had a huge cache of draft picks – and now they are gone:

The Miami Dolphins are in the second year of a three-year draft desert. It’s amazing how denuded their 2022, 2023 and (as of now) 2024 drafts have gotten. What GM Chris Grier has done isn’t wrong, but because of trades for a new receiving corps and a good edge-rusher, and because of tampering stupidity by the Dolphins, he’s cast his lot with veterans over cheaper rookies, like the Rams did in building their 2021 Super Bowl team. The next three seasons will show if Grier made smart moves.

A look back at Miami’s high draft status over three years:

2022: They hold zero picks in the top 100. Picked at 102 and 125, then not again for 99 picks. Dealt first-, second- and fourth-round picks in the deal for Tyreek Hill, and sacrificed first- and fourth-round picks to move up six slots to pick Jaylen Waddle.

2023: They hold zero picks in the top 50. Scheduled to pick at 51 and 84, then not again for 113 picks. Had a first-round pick docked in the Tom Brady tampering scandal, traded another first- to acquire Bradley Chubb, and traded a third-rounder for Jalen Ramsey.

2024: They hold two picks in the top 130, as of today: their first- and second-round choices. The third- was docked in the Brady scandal, the fourth- dealt to Denver as part of the Chubb deal.

Amazing: Miami lost control of all four of its first-round picks in ’22 and this year. Obviously, the additions of Hill and Chubb are big, but it just adds to the pressure on them and Waddle to deliver in a big way over the next two or three years.

This is how the balance of power in a conference can shift. Not saying it will, because draft picks are unproven. But assuming the Dolphins are over .500 this year and don’t make a deal to move up in 2024, all of this draft-dodging means Miami will have one pick in the top 50 over three drafts—while Houston, for instance, is likely to have 10.

NEW YORK JETS

DT QUINNEN WILLIAMS is a contract-related absence from Jets camp.  Rich Cimini of ESPN.com:

All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, in negotiations for a contract extension, did not report Monday for the start of the New York Jets’ offseason program, according to a source.

Williams, 25, entering the final year of his contract, vowed at the end of last season that he wouldn’t attend voluntary workouts without a new deal.

The two sides have been in discussions for about two months. General manager Joe Douglas said at the recent league meetings that negotiations were “in a positive place.”

Williams is due to make $9.6 million this season, the amount of his fifth-year option. Three defensive tackles this offseason have received at least $21 million per year — Javon Hargrave (San Francisco 49ers) at $21 million, Daron Payne (Washington Commanders) at $22.5 million and Jeffery Simmons (Tennessee Titans) at $23.5 million.

Drafted third overall in 2019, Williams is coming off a career-high 12 sacks. He made his first Pro Bowl and was selected first-team All-Pro.

THIS AND THAT

TOP 5 QBs

Two former NFL QBs turned media gurus rank their top five QBs in this draft for Peter King:

Former QB Lists of the Week. I asked the very opinionated Chris Simms of NBC Sports and Dan Orlovsky of ESPN, both former NFL quarterbacks, for their top five at the position. Simms has gained notoriety in the past few years for loving unfamous guys entering the draft, and he’s not as crazy this year, but a couple of his picks are notable.

What’s interesting to me: Both like Hendon Hooker more than the market—Simms in particular—and one thinks C.J. Stroud is Burrow-like while the other has cooled on him a bit.

And Simms, the one who brought you Kellen Mond and Matt Corral, has another one you’ll have to look up: UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Hmm. Purdy-like in this way—Thompson-Robinson started 48 college games.

Simms’ Top Five QBs:

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State. “To me, Stroud was the offense at Ohio State. Bryce Young ran the offense at Alabama. Stroud’s the best pure pocket passer in the draft. He’s big, he can make any type of throw you want, he’s got a great ability to process information. He’s as good as I’ve seen at making all the throws since Joe Burrow.”

Bryce Young, Alabama. “The natural. He’s slick. I mean, there’s a lot to like. Like Stroud, the processing information there is really good. He’s got a lot of wow releases, but there’s not a lot of wow throws. But he is a phenomenal, quick athlete. He can make people miss. He can throw off different platforms. Of course I worry about his size.”

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee. “This is a pure pocket-passing quarterback. Man, nobody is better in the draft than Hooker playing from the pocket. People around him, hanging on him, and he can throw a 20-yard incut or a 20-yard comeback. You’re like, ‘Man, he couldn’t even step into that, and wow, what a throw.’ His ability to move is being way underrated.”

Anthony Richardson, Florida. “How can you not love his potential? I don’t love the comparison to Josh Allen, because Josh wasn’t this raw. But we’ve never seen anything like Richardson. His arm is the most explosive arm in the draft. His running is real. Yeah, there’s a lot to work on from the quarterback aspect. I hear some people say, ‘He needs to sit a year.’ It’s the exact opposite. This is Trey Lance. He’s gotta play; he hasn’t played enough. You gotta start him right away if you draft him.”

(tie) Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA; Will Levis, Kentucky. “Dorian Thompson-Robinson might be the most underrated prospect in the entire draft. Bigger than Bryce Young (Thompson-Robinson is 6-1 ½), better arm than Bryce Young. A little frail, but I think he’s ready to play right now. With Levis, the word for me is inconsistency—in everything. Decision-making, mechanics, quality of throw. I don’t see a guy with a natural feel for the position.”

Orlovsky’s Top Five:

Bryce Young. “I think he’s got a feel for football like Steph Curry’s got for basketball. My favorite quality about him: In moments of panic, he doesn’t panic with the football. From decision made to ball coming out, it’s so sudden, but he doesn’t force the ball. His size … who were the last quarterbacks to have their careers derailed by injury? Carson Wentz. Andrew Luck. Cam Newton. They’re mountain men. Bryce’s size does nothing to impact his ability to play.”

Anthony Richardson. “This is a flip for me over the past couple weeks, Richardson over Stroud. He’s got rare, rare athleticism, size and arm talent. Very unique combination. Oftentimes we’ll get two out of three. One out of three. He’s got all three. Really good in the play action game and the RPO game.”

C.J. Stroud. “C.J. was number two for me for a while. He has a tremendous pre-snap plan. This kid’s very good at understanding tells of a defense and what’s the problem with this play and how to fix it. Elite ball placement. Rhythm and timing might be the flaws. When he’s off rhythm, he’s not the same player. You could say that about a lot of guys, but C.J. guides the ball at times.”

Will Levis. “Super tight release, very similar to Stafford. Big, strong-armed, tough dude. Played his best football in the toughest moments in games, third downs. But he’s an incredibly difficult evaluation. By far the worst protection that any quarterback had to deal with this year, by far the worst skill group. So it’s tough to come to a conclusion on him.”

Hendon Hooker. “I love the adversity that he’s faced, the maturity that he’s acquired. He’s a big, athletic, touch thrower who also can drive the football. But naturally he’s a touch thrower by nature. With the designed runs, I don’t think he’s a crazy creator, but he can run when he needs to. He had to think very quickly in their offense this year.”

BIJAN ROBINSON

With less than two weeks to the draft, today we start a series on some of the top players in the draft, with an emphasis on their personal history.  First up, RB BIJAN ROBINSON who by all accounts will be an immediate star for whatever team drafts him.  He’s clearly a player likely to give any team a jolt in 2023.  But he’s a running back.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Texas running back Bijan Robinson is widely viewed as one of the best players in the draft. But he’s a running back, and running backs don’t get drafted as high as they once did.

The NFL has come a long way from 2005, when three running backs (Ronnie Brown, Cedric Benson, Cadillac Williams) went in the top five. Last year, there were no first-round running backs at all. Since the Giants took Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in 2018, no running back has been taken higher than 24th (Josh Jacobs in 2019, Najee Harris in 2021).

There are multiple reasons for this. First, the supply of NFL-capable running backs continues to outweigh demand. Good running backs can be found in every round of the draft. They can be found among the undrafted free agents. That makes it hard to justify using a high draft pick on a tailback, unless he’s widely regarded to be an all-time great.

Second, even if the prospect is a no-brainer all-timer, he can still get injured. Like Barkley did. It’s not the player’s fault; it’s inherent to the position. Running backs are constantly in car crashes. They get hit awkwardly. They get hit repeatedly. From any angle. From every angle.

That makes it even harder to roll the dice on a running back with a top-10 pick.

Which brings us back to Robinson. He’ll be a first-rounder. The question is how high he’ll go and, more importantly, where.

The Eagles, who lost Miles Sanders in free agency, at No. 10? The Bucs at No. 19? The Chargers at No. 21? The Vikings at No. 22? The Cowboys at No. 26? The Bills at No. 27? The Bengals at No. 28?

He likely won’t make it out of the top 20, if he makes it out of the top 10. And there’s a chance someone who fully appreciates what he’ll mean to an established offense will trade up to get him. His addition will supercharge a playoff team into a short-list Super Bowl contender.

The balance continues to be who else is available and where they can be secured. Along with the ever-present risk of injury, which is greater for running backs than any other player on offense. And which can make a player look like a bust, even if the injuries are a product of the position.

But Robinson could be great. A soon-to-be superstar. A fantasy-football darling. A guy who, like Barkley, might eventually be approaching his sixth season without the long-term contract he will have earned.

Robinson is from Tucson, Arizona where he went to Salpointe H.S. – a diocesan Catholic school.  As a senior, he averaged, averaged 17.7 yards per carry (2,235 yards, 126 carries).

His mom is LaMore, now married to Bijan’s stepfather, Lamont Sauls.

This on his birth:

LaMore reported to Bleacher Report that Robinson wasn’t breathing when he was born.

The story was from 2002 at the Northwest Medical Center delivery room. LaMore recalled a story about the child who came into the world ” as blue as the sky.”

The doctors attempted to revive him, and even after some seconds of birth, Bijan had not responded.

Bijan’s grandmother walked over and touched his little chest. After all, of a sudden, a miracle happened. The child started screaming and crying.

After that moment, the family named the child’ Bijan,’ a Persian word that means ‘Hero.’

The original pronunciation of the name was BYE-jan, but he had preferred to take BEE-zhahn.

His grandfather, Cleo Robinson, was a Pac-12 football official for nearly 30 years.  Cleo became his father figure when his mother moved back to Tucson after her pregnancy occurred while she was away at college.

Bijan loved his grandfather’s job (he also was a basketball official) and grew to admire Reggie Bush as a player.  When Southern Cal recruited him, Bush offered to un-retire his number 5, but Bijan chose Texas.

In the age of NIL, he legally had a Lamborghini while at Texas.

From the very beginning, Robinson’s football career has been a family affair, from his mom and grandparents supporting him at his high school games to talking shop with his grandfather. Now his aunt, Cleyrissa, manages his business dealings, which include all of his NIL contracts.

Bijan has at least 10 partnerships, including C4 Energy and Lamborghini Austin (though he only drives that on the weekends and would rather sit behind the wheel of his truck).

“I try not to flash it out,” he says. “That’s not me.”

A condiment company recently gave him a deal and named a mustard after him: “Bijan Mustardson: The Official Dijon of Bijan.”

“You see him on the football field doing his thing, you see him in commercials, you read about him. You’d think, ‘Wow, what a great guy,”’ his grandfather says. “Then you remember: He’s just Bijan.”

He is regarded as having exceptional character.  Richard Justice of Texas Monthly:

Along with what he’s meant to the Longhorns on the field, Robinson has won over fans, teammates, coaches, and media alike with his personality. Austin American–Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls wrote this of Robinson: “He’s been the nicest, kindest UT athlete this writer has encountered in 50 years. . . . He has a gentle spirit off the field and a rugged attitude on it.”

– – –

Only in the final two regular season games did Texas truly ride Robinson. Those contests came at a time when Sarkisian might have been fighting to keep his job. With quarterback Quinn Ewers struggling, Sarkisian simplified things by getting the football into the hands of his best player. Texas ran the ball 105 times and passed it just 38 in season-ending victories over Kansas and Baylor. So much for the sacred balance coaches strive for. Robinson carried the ball 54 times and gained 422 yards in those final two games.

Robinson led the nation with 1,894 combined rushing and receiving yards, and was named the 2022 Doak Walker Award winner given annually to the nation’s top running back. He was just the twenty-third Longhorn—and fourth running back—to win unanimous All-American honors based on the five outlets recognized by the NCAA.

Through it all, Robinson never seemed to express a single note of discontent. “He’s such a nice human being that sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit for the competitive spirit that he has,” Sarkisian said after the Kansas game in which Robinson gained 243 yards on 25 carries. “I think that’s just what he’s made of. Man, he’s a special person beyond a special player, but that competitive spirit sometimes gets overlooked.”

Robinson, who grew up in Tucson, Arizona, chose Texas over Ohio State and USC (even after Trojan legend Reggie Bush offered him his retired jersey No. 5). He was the nation’s top-ranked running back and No. 15 overall recruit, according to 247Sports.com. His final two seasons at Texas came just as college athletes were allowed to earn income for their name, image, and likeness rights. Robinson signed deals worth an estimated $1.7 million, according to On3, including endorsements with Lamborghini and his own brand of dijon mustard—Bijan Mustardson.

“NIL has been a blessing, man,” he said at Big 12 Media Days in July. “I’ve learned so much on the business side of things, and just meeting a lot of people. I feel like building relationships has been very important for me in that scene.”

He aspires to an acting career somewhere down the line and has picked  Matthew McConaughey’s brain for advice. He hopes there’s a happy rom-com in his future. “Matthew said he thinks I could be a really good actor,” Robinson said in a preseason interview. “He says just keep practicing. I’ve done a lot of commercials, and I think I’m pretty funny. I think if you’re a happy person, you can be a good actor.”

He’s a regular at Austin Ridge Bible Church and is comfortable sharing his faith. His former coach at Tucson’s Salpointe Catholic High School, Eric Rogers, told BVM Sports: “He has a tremendous faith and it’s contagious. People gravitate to him and it was crazy to see the progression from five, then it was ten and fifteen. Next thing you know by the end of the year, there were twenty-five guys huddling up with him to pray right before our games. For me, it was unique.”

But for all of Robinson’s virtues as a locker room leader, celebrity endorser, would-be actor, and man of faith, he’ll need to be a world-class competitor to succeed in the cutthroat world of professional football. That part, according to his teammates and coaches, won’t be a problem, either.

The DB agrees with Peter King who thinks a good team should jump on Bijan:

I seem to be in the minority on this: I don’t think teams, particularly teams that are in contention and would be significantly improved with a great offensive weapon, should be overly concerned with whether a rookie will be around long enough to sign a second contract. That’s partially because the majority of first-round picks do not sign second contracts with teams anyway. From 2011 to 2014, in fact, per overthecap.com, only 38 percent of the top 10 picks signed second deals with teams, and just one-third of those picked 11 through 20 re-signed with teams.

That brings me to Robinson, the talented Texas back. He’s a great runner, first. But watch this clip (this link is set to begin right at 3:00, on the exact play I want you to see) of a deep route run out of the slot by Robinson to see his versatility and hands—and to see why his college coach, Steve Sarkisian, thinks Robinson could be a full-time receiver if that’s how a team wanted to use him.

My point: If you only had Robinson for five years—four years plus exercising the fifth-year option as a first-round pick—and he played behind the kind of offensive line in, say, Philadelphia, are you telling me he wouldn’t be worth the pick? Not to fixate on Philly, but two of the last four top picks (Jalen Reagor, Andre Dillard) didn’t work out anyway. The average first-contract cap number for Robinson in Philadelphia would be $5.5 million. But let’s not stick to Philly. Go to mid-round, and pick 18, where Detroit would certainly be in contention to draft Robinson. His cap number in the first four years as the 18th pick: $2.8 million, $3.5 million, $4.2 million, $4.8 million … between 1 and 3 percent of your cap each year.

I asked Sarkisian if he thought Robinson was an exception to the rule about taking running backs high in the draft. “I definitely think he is,” he said. “Bijan is not your typical first- or second-down back. He’s not your typical third-down back. He is an every-down back who can run between the tackles, can make people miss on the perimeter, is extremely difficult to get on the ground in space, and can run routes like receivers. He can catch the ball like a receiver. I think the game of the NFL is really fit for his skill set, maybe to some degree a little better than college quite frankly.”

I asked him which teams have been sniffing around Robinson in pre-draft phone calls. “It’s so hard to gauge because, for instance, I was at Alabama, and I recruited Bryce Young and coached him for a year, so there are questions about Alabama guys,” Sarkisian said. “But you gotta remember: Lots of teams never let you know what they’re thinking. I was with Al Davis in Oakland for a year, and he never called the people he knew he was going to draft.”

MOCK DRAFT OF THE DAY

Dean Brugler of The Athletic lays out every single pick in the upcoming draft, although we do some editing:

Though it’s extremely time-intensive, this exercise is an essential step in my process. It allows me to really focus on each team’s needs, franchise trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on “30” visits, league buzz and overall interest. Complete team-by-team results can be found at the bottom of the post, after all of the picks are in.

I didn’t include any trades in this mock (mapping out all 259 picks is challenging enough!), but I did my best to color within the lines of what could happen during the 2023 NFL Draft. Some fan bases will love their haul; others will be disappointed. But that’s just how the NFL Draft works, and realism was the goal with this exercise.

1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

I don’t know what the Panthers are going to do, but I can tell you what other teams believe the Panthers are going to do: draft Young. If you are comfortable with his size, the Alabama passer is the easy selection at No. 1.

2. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

As I grow more and more confident about the pick at No. 1, I feel less sure about what the Texans will do at No. 2. I’m told there isn’t a unanimous belief among the Houston coaches that available quarterback will be worthy of this pick. At this point, I’m still leaning Stroud — if not to Houston, then probably to another team that comes up for him. But my final mock next week might have Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr., Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson or a different quarterback here.

3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

Regardless of the players drafted first and second, this is the pick most likely to be traded. Does Indianapolis pay the ransom to move up one spot? Do the Raiders or Titans get bold in their pursuit of a quarterback? If Arizona decides to stay put, Anderson would be the easy choice.

4. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

Like the Texans, the Colts shouldn’t be considered locks to select a quarterback in the top five this year. It would be understandable, however, if Indianapolis decides Richardson is worth the risk. There’s been so much talk about Richardson’s ceiling, but with his size, mobility and general feel as a passer, I am encouraged by Richardson’s floor as an NFL QB. His development mentally will decide that ceiling.

5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN): Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech

This is where the Jalen Carter watch starts, but I think Seattle will have its eyes on a different defensive lineman. Wilson hasn’t been able to work out for teams during the pre-draft process because of his foot injury, but most are already sold on his traits. He would give the Seahawks a versatile lineman who can stand up or reduce inside and create disruption.

6. Detroit Lions (via LAR): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

Most mock drafts have a cornerback pegged here for the Lions … which inevitably means Detroit will take a different position on draft day. That said, I’m sticking with Gonzalez because he is one of the top non-quarterbacks in the draft with the traits you bet on at a premium position.

7. Las Vegas Raiders: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

The Raiders are in the quarterback market, and that might be the direction they go with this pick. But they also must come out of this draft with multiple starters on the defensive side of the ball. Witherspoon (5-foot-11, 184 pounds) might not have ideal size, but he plays much bigger than he looks and has a natural feel for the position.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia

The Falcons have added several notable veterans (Calais Campbell, Bud Dupree) to their defensive line, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they dropped a young rookie into that mix as well. Smith was born and raised in Georgia, played his college ball for the Bulldogs and would get to stay in his home state to start his NFL career.

9. Chicago Bears (via CAR): Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

The Bears have spent considerable time with Carter throughout the process to better understand him as a player and person. Individual maturity is never guaranteed with prospects — and that is the risk with Carter — but his on-field impact as a three-technique in Matt Eberflus’ scheme could make the risk worth it for general manager Ryan Poles.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO): Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

There is a decent chance we see Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman jump around a little with this pick (either up or down), which would make things interesting. No trades here, so the Eagles stay put.

11. Tennessee Titans: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

In my opinion, the Titans should focus on building their offensive line and adding playmakers before they chase a young quarterback. But if the Titans have a high grade on Levis and selecting him doesn’t require a trade up, this would be a fit with interesting potential.

12. Houston Texans (via CLE): Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson

The Texans have three picks in the top 33 and ideally want to land a passer, edge rusher and interior defensive lineman with those selections. You’ll come away from Murphy’s tape wanting more, but there is no denying his ability and traits to continue growing at a key position.

13. New York Jets: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Mekhi Becton and Duane Brown are back in 2023 for the Jets, but both playing a full 17-game regular-season schedule seems unlikely. Johnson not only would provide immediate and playable depth at tackle, he also would give the franchise a long-term road map at the position.

14. New England Patriots: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Jones has played the fewest number of snaps among draftable FBS tackles in this class, and there will be some bumps along the way as he develops. But two to three years from now, it wouldn’t be surprising if he separates himself as the best tackle from this draft.

15. Green Bay Packers: Peter Skoronski, G/T, Northwestern

This pick is a reminder that the goal in Round 1 is to add impact players, not necessarily address the top need on a roster.

Whether Skoronski plays tackle or guard, he would help upgrade the Packers’ offensive line from Day One. Obviously, this isn’t part of the decision-making process, but there also happens to be a fun connection: Skoronski grew up a diehard Packers fan, and his grandfather won Super Bowls in Green Bay under Vince Lombardi.

16. Washington Commanders: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

Copy and paste the first sentence of the Packers’ selection. Running back isn’t a glaring need on the Washington roster, but the chance to add a premier playmaker like Robinson would be tough to pass up. For an organization ready to trot out Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, Robinson would bring some offensive excitement for the fan base and new ownership.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

This pairing would be another entertaining story given the Porter bloodlines, but obviously this pick is more than that. Though the Steelers added veteran Patrick Peterson this offseason, the chance to add a young, long and promising corner would be an upgrade for the present and future.

18. Detroit Lions: Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt

The Lions would love to come away from the draft’s first night with two impact defensive prospects. They do so in this scenario: Gonzalez and Kancey. The Pitt defensive tackle is undersized, but disruptive defensive linemen come in all shapes and sizes.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Any questions about Tristan Wirfs’ ability to play left tackle? Watch his final season at Iowa (he played both left and right tackle that year) and you can see him dominate on the blind side. A combination of Wirfs at left tackle and Wright at right tackle might quickly become one of the best OT tandems in the NFL.

20. Seattle Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Smith-Njigba would give the Seahawks something they don’t currently have: a third receiving option that scares opposing defenses.

It will be very interesting to see where the first pass catcher is drafted in Round 1. This receiver class isn’t top-heavy, and around the league there are far more prospects with second-round grades than first-round.

Miami Dolphins: Pick forfeited

The NFL stripped the Dolphins of this pick last August as punishment for impermissible contact with Tom Brady and the agent of Sean Payton.

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

Talking to one team source about Kincaid’s back injury, there is concern that Kincaid might not be ready for minicamp but no long-term worries, which is obviously good news for the tight end. Justin Herbert would love to see this projection come to fruition on draft night because it would give him arguably the best pure pass catcher in the entire draft.

22. Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

The Ravens gave Odell Beckham a lot of money, but that doesn’t take wide receiver off the table at 22. Baltimore has a high grade on Flowers and shouldn’t have trouble finding a use for his versatile receiving skill set alongside Beckham, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

The Vikings are expecting big things from second-year corners Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans, but they still might address the position again in the first round. Banks has the size and movement skills to match up with any kind of receiver on the outside.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

The Jaguars could go in a number of different directions here, including defensive tackle, where they have shown plenty of interest in Bresee. The Clemson product dealt with injuries and personal tragedy over the past two seasons, so we have only seen flashes of what he can do. Jacksonville would be getting a steal here.

25. New York Giants: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

The Giants’ wide receiver situation is looking up thanks to the surprising play of Isaiah Hodgins, Wan’Dale Robinson’s returning from injury and now Parris Campbell’s addition. But in no way should that stop New York from continuing to add playmakers if it has a first-round grade on a receiver here.

26. Dallas Cowboys: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

As one plugged-in league source told me about Mayer and the Cowboys: “I just can’t see Dallas passing.”

The Cowboys are looking for a tight end who can hold his own as a blocker but also move the sticks as a receiving threat. If Mayer makes it this far, it’s a good bet he will have a star on his helmet.

27. Buffalo Bills: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas

With his traits and ability to rush the passer, Sanders has the ingredients of a first-round pick. Buffalo isn’t in a position where it has to replace Tremaine Edmunds here, but the chance to add a talent like Sanders on defense would have to be appealing.

28. Cincinnati Bengals: Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern

From his standout performance at the Senior Bowl to elite testing numbers at the combine, no player has aced the pre-draft process quite like Adebawore. Like most teams, the Bengals are searching for explosive defensive linemen on the interior, and the Northwestern three-technique could fill that role.

29. New Orleans Saints (via DEN): Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

One of the more well-traveled prospects over the last month, Smith has visited more than half the teams in the league, including the Saints. New Orleans has several question marks on defense, starting up front, but Smith would help solve those issues from Day One.

30. Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Branch, S, Alabama

Despite his lack of elite size (190 pounds) and speed (4.58-second 40-yard dash), Branch has a near-universal approval rating around the league because of his tape and football IQ. Whether he plays safety or nickel, he’d be an immediate upgrade in the Philadelphia secondary.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Keion White, Edge, Georgia Tech

The Chiefs will be examining their pass-rush options early, and White will be near the top of their list. The NFL announced that White is one of 17 prospects who will be attending this year’s draft, and he’s the last of those 17 to appear in this mock. With the draft being held in Kansas City, though, it would make for good TV to have the Chiefs’ selection already in town.

Round 2

32  Steelers (via CHI)                    O’Cyrus Torrence             G           Florida

33  Texans                                     Quentin Johnston            WR        TCU

34  Cardinals                                 Jahmyr Gibbs                  RB         Alabama

35  Colts                                        Emmanuel Forbes           CB        Miss. State

36  Rams                                      Will McDonald IV              Edge    Iowa State

37  Seahawks (via DEN)              Hendon Hooker               QB        Tennessee

38  Raiders                                   Trenton Simpson            LB         Clemson

39  Panthers                                 BJ Ojulari                        Edge     LSU

40  Saints                                     Jalin Hyatt                       WR        Tennessee

41  Titans                                     Cody Mauch                     G         N. Dakota St.

42  Jets (via CLE)                         Joe Tippmann                  C        Wisconsin

43  Jets                                         Keeanu Benton               DT       Wisconsin

44  Falcons                                  DJ Turner                         CB      Michigan

45  Packers                                  Luke Musgrave                TE       Oregon State

46  Patriots                                   Josh Downs                     WR     North Carolina

47  Commanders                         Kelee Ringo                     CB       Georgia

48  Lions                                      Darnell Washington         TE       Georgia

49  Steelers                                 Dawand Jones                 OT       Ohio State

50  Buccaneers                           Felix Anudike-Uzomah    Edge     Kansas State

51  Dolphins                                Anton Harrison                 OT       Oklahoma

52  Seahawks                              Steve Avila                      G          TCU

53  Bears (via BAL)                      Matthew Bergeron          OT        Syracuse

54  Chargers                                Cam Smith                      CB       South Carolina

55  Lions (via MIN)                       Jack Campbell                LB       Iowa

56  Jaguars                                  Tucker Kraft                    TE        S. Dakota St.

57  Giants                                     John Michael Schmitz     C          Minnesota

58  Cowboys                                  Daiyan Henley               LB        Washington St.

59  Bills                                          Cedric Tillman                WR       Tennessee

60  Bengals                                   Zach Charbonnet           RB         UCLA

61  Bears (via CAR)                      Julius Brents                  CB         Kansas State

62  Eagles                                     Tyrique Stevenson         CB         Miami

63  Chiefs                                      Tyler Scott                     WR        Cincinnati

Thoughts on a few of the Round 2 selections:

32. Pittsburgh Steelers: O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida

Torrence is a player the Steelers likely will consider at No. 17, and they would jump at the value of drafting him here. Pittsburgh wants to commit to the run game with people movers up front. Torrence certainly fits that mold.

41. Tennessee Titans: Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State

The Titans need help at tackle, guard and center, and Mauch has the skill set to chip in at all three positions and the competitive toughness that head coach Mike Vrabel values. Mauch is a better prospect than his former Bison teammate and current Titans lineman Dillon Radunz.

48. Detroit Lions: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

In my opinion, the Lions were a big winner in this seven-round mock, and landing Washington with this pick is part of the reason why. Detroit needs to add to its tight end depth chart, ideally with a capable blocker whom the coaching staff can groom as a pass catcher. Washington is an ideal fit.

63. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati

With the Chiefs expected to add wide receiver help at some point in the first three rounds, Scott is a name to keep on the radar. A true three-level threat, he will be drafted somewhere in the 50-100 range and look like a steal three years from now.

Team-by-team results

Arizona Cardinals

1 (3): Will Anderson Jr., Edge, Alabama

2 (34): Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

3 (66): Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina

3 (96): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

4 (105): Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas

5 (168): Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State

6 (180): Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville

6 (213): Jason Taylor, S, Louisville

Atlanta Falcons

1 (8): Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia

2 (44): DJ Turner, CB, Michigan

3 (75): Nick Saldiveri, G, Old Dominion

4 (110): Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska

4 (113): Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State

7 (224): Derius Davis, WR, TCU

7 (225): Brayden Willis, TE, Oklahoma

Baltimore Ravens

1 (22): Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

3 (86): Cameron Mitchell, CB, Northwestern

4 (124): Karl Brooks, DT, Bowling Green

5 (157): Braeden Daniels, G/T, Utah

6 (199): Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia

Buffalo Bills

1 (27): Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas

2 (59): Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee

3 (91): Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

4 (130): Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma

5 (137): K.J. Henry, Edge, Clemson

6 (205): Brandon Hill, S, Pittsburgh

Carolina Panthers

1 (1): Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2 (39): BJ Ojulari, Edge, LSU

3 (93): Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State

4 (114): Terrell Smith, CB, Minnesota

4 (132): Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss

5 (145): Yasir Abdullah, LB, Louisville

Chicago Bears

1 (9): Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

2 (53): Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse

2 (61): Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State

3 (64): Derick Hall, Edge, Auburn

4 (103): Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State

4 (133): Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State

5 (136): Chase Brown, RB, Illinois

5 (148): Kobie Turner, DT, Wake Forest

7 (218): Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State

7 (258): Jose Ramirez, Edge, Eastern Michigan

Cincinnati Bengals

1 (28): Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern

2 (60): Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA

3 (92): Tyler Steen, T/G, Alabama

4 (131): Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion

5 (163): Darrell Luter Jr., CB, South Alabama

6 (206): Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

7 (246): Rakim Jarrett, WR, Maryland

Cleveland Browns

3 (74): Gervon Dexter Sr., DT, Florida

3 (98): YaYa Diaby, Edge, Louisville

4 (111): Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State

4 (126): Jammie Robinson, CB/S, Florida State

5 (140): Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland

5 (142): Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati

6 (190): Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina

7 (229): Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan

Dallas Cowboys

1 (26): Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

2 (58): Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State

3 (90): Anthony Bradford, G, LSU

4 (129): Tyler Lacy, DT, Oklahoma State

5 (169): Jake Moody, K, Michigan

6 (212): Clayton Tune, QB, Houston

7 (244): Durrell Johnson, Edge, Liberty

Denver Broncos

3 (67): Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M

3 (68): Zach Harrison, Edge, Ohio State

4 (108): Sydney Brown, S, Illinois

5 (139): Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse

6 (195): David Durden, WR, West Florida

Detroit Lions

1 (6): Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

1 (18): Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt

2 (48): Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

2 (55): Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa

3 (81): Chandler Zavala, G, NC State

5 (152): Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford

5 (159): Thomas Incoom, Edge, Central Michigan

6 (183): Jerrod Clark, DT, Coastal Carolina

6 (194): John Ojukwu, OT, Boise State

Green Bay Packers

1 (15): Peter Skoronski, G, Northwestern

2 (45): Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

3 (78): Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

4 (116): Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia

5 (149): Cameron Young, DT, Mississippi State

5 (170): Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern

7 (232): Tyson Bagent, QB, Shepherd

7 (235): Atonio Mafi, G, UCLA

7 (242): Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky

7 (256): Jordan Howden, S, Minnesota

Houston Texans

1 (2): C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

1 (12): Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson

2 (33): Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

3 (65): Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina

3 (73): Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane

4 (104): Davis Allen, TE, Clemson

5 (161): Rejzohn Wright, CB, Oregon State

6 (188): Andrew Vorhees, G, USC

6 (201): Cam Jones, LB, Indiana

6 (203): Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

7 (230): Olu Oluwatimi, C, Michigan

7 (259): Gervarrius Owens, S, Houston

Indianapolis Colts

1 (4): Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

2 (35): Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

3 (79): Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma

4 (106): Emil Ekiyor, G, Alabama

5 (138): JL Skinner, S, Boise State

5 (162): Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati

5 (176): Brodric Martin, DT, Western Kentucky

7 (221): Earl Bostick Jr., OT, Kansas

7 (236): Tavius Robinson, Edge, Ole Miss

Jacksonville Jaguars

1 (24): Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

2 (56): Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State

3 (88): Isaiah McGuire, Edge, Missouri

4 (121): Tre Tomlinson, CB, TCU

4 (127): Asim Richards, OT, North Carolina

6 (185): Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M

6 (202): Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia

6 (208): Chamarri Conner, S, Virginia Tech

7 (226): McClendon Curtis, G, Chattanooga

Kansas City Chiefs

1 (31): Keion White, Edge Georgia Tech

2 (63): Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati

3 (95): Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland

4 (122): Jaren Hall, QB, BYU

4 (134): DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Texas

5 (166): Desjuan Johnson, DT, Toledo

6 (178): Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse

6 (217): Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte

7 (249): Blake Whiteheart, TE, Wake Forest

7 (250): Nic Jones, CB, Ball State

Las Vegas Raiders

1 (7): Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

2 (38): Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

3 (70): Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa

3 (100): Colby Wooden, DT, Auburn

4 (109): Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue

5 (141): A.T. Perry, WR, Wake Forest

5 (144): Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

5 (174): Jon Gaines II, G/C, UCLA

6 (204): Ryan Hayes, OT, Michigan

6 (214): Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Kentucky

7 (220): Nesta Jade Silvera, DT, Arizona State

7 (231): Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC

Los Angeles Chargers

1 (21): Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

2 (54): Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

3 (85): Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge, USC

4 (125): Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma

5 (156): Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton

6 (200): Daniel Scott, S, Cal

7 (239): T.J. Bass, G, Oregon

Los Angeles Rams

2 (36): Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

3 (69): Quan Martin, S, Illinois

3 (77): Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn

5 (167): Jordan McFadden, G, Clemson

5 (171): Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon

5 (177): Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB

6 (182): Parker Washington, WR, Penn State

6 (189): SirVocea Dennis, LB, Pitt

6 (191): Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State

7 (223): Andre Carter II, Edge, Army

7 (251): Alex Ward, LS, UCF

Miami Dolphins

2 (51): Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

3 (84): Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State

6 (197): Lonnie Phelps, Edge, Kansas

7 (238): Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa

Minnesota Vikings

1 (23): Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

3 (87): Tank Dell, WR, Houston

4 (119): Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama

5 (158): Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford

6 (211): DJ Dale, DT, Alabama

New England Patriots

1 (14): Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

2 (46): Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

3 (76): Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah

4 (107): Byron Young, DT, Alabama

4 (117): Blake Freeland, OT, BYU

4 (135): Dylan Horton, Edge, TCU

6 (184): Elijah Higgins, WR/TE, Stanford

6 (187): Dee Winters, LB, TCU

6 (192): Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon

6 (210): Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia

7 (245): Kaevon Merriweather, S, Iowa

New Orleans Saints

1 (29): Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan

2 (40): Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

3 (71): Isaiah Foskey, Edge, Notre Dame

4 (115): DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB

5 (146): Sidy Sow, G, Eastern Michigan

5 (165): Payne Durham, TE, Purdue

7 (227): Mike Morris, DL, Michigan

7 (257): Isaiah Land, LB, Florida A&M

New York Giants

1 (25): Jordan Addison, WR, USC

2 (57): John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

3 (89): Kendre Miller, RB, TCU

4 (128): Riley Moss, CB, Iowa

5 (160): Nick Broeker, G, Ole Miss

5 (172): DJ Johnson, Edge, Oregon

6 (209): Jay Ward, CB/S, LSU

7 (240): Anfernee Orji, LB, Vanderbilt

7 (243): Will Mallory, TE, Miami

7 (254): Richard Gouraige, OT, Florida

New York Jets

1 (13): Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

2 (42): Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin

2 (43): Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

4 (112): Nick Hampton, Edge, Appalachian State

5 (143): Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn

6 (207): Xavier Gipson, WR, Stephen F. Austin

Philadelphia Eagles

1 (10): Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

1 (30): Brian Branch, S, Alabama

2 (62): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

3 (94): Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pitt

7 (219): Adam Korsak, P, Rutgers

7 (248): Sala Aumavae-Laulu, G, Oregon

Pittsburgh Steelers

1 (17): Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

2 (32): O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida

2 (49): Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

3 (80): Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor

4 (120): Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue

7 (234): Hunter Luepke, RB/FB, North Dakota State

7 (241): Robert Beal Jr., Edge, Georgia

San Francisco 49ers

3 (99): Byron Young, Edge, Tennessee

3 (101): Cory Trice, CB, Purdue

3 (102): Marte Mapu, LB/S, Sacramento State

5 (155): Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama

5 (164): Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty

5 (173): Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia

6 (216): Chad Ryland, K, Maryland

7 (222): Dante Stills, DT, West Virginia

7 (247): Ty Okada, S, Montana State

7 (253): Arquon Bush, CB, Cincinnati

7 (255): Justin Shorter, WR, Florida

Seattle Seahawks

1 (5): Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech

1 (20): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

2 (37): Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

2 (52): Steve Avila, G/C, TCU

3 (83): Nick Herbig, LB, Edge, Wisconsin

4 (123): Moro Ojomo, DT, Texas

5 (151): Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State

5 (154): Keondre Coburn, DT, Texas

6 (198): Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama

7 (237): Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1 (19): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

2 (50): Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Edge, Kansas State

3 (82): Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas

5 (153): Kyu Blu Kelly, CB, Stanford

5 (175): Christopher Smith, S, Georgia

6 (179): Joey Fisher, G, Shepherd

6 (181): Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati

6 (196): Jalen Redmond, DT, Oklahoma

7 (252): Jeremy Banks, LB, Tennessee

Tennessee Titans

1 (11): Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

2 (41): Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State

3 (72): Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss

5 (147): Tyrus Wheat, Edge, Mississippi State

6 (186): Jarrett Patterson, G/C, Notre Dame

7 (228): Anthony Johnson Jr., S, Iowa State

Washington Commanders

1 (16): Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

2 (47): Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

3 (97): Carter Warren, OT, Pitt

4 (118): Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane

5 (150): Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU

6 (193): Viliami Fehoko, Edge, San Jose State

6 (215): Juice Scruggs, G/C, Penn State

7 (233): DeMarcco Hellams, S, Alabama